Power-operated ventilator



Jan. 30, 1940. ROBERTS 2,188,741

POWER-OPERATED VENTILATOR Filed Jan. 28, 1958 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1 I N VEN TOR.

Thumaa Lfiu hart s ATTORNEYS.

Jan. 30, 1940.

T. L. ROBERTS POWER-OPERATED VENTILATOR Filed Jan. 28, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Rt m w A: E R V u I m m. T L A a m n. W h T man 1.... 30, 1940 2,133,741

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POWER-OPERATED VENTILATOR Thomas L. Roberts, Wausau, Win, minor to Air-Van Company, Wausau, Wis.

Application January 2a, 1938, Serial No. 18'l,8'l3

2 Claims. (CI. 98-72) This invention appertains to a novel device for Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through facilitating the circulation of air, and more parmy improved ventilator. ticularly to a power-operated ventilator. Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view through One of the primary objects of my invention is the ventilator, taken on the line 22 of Figure l, to provide a ventilator of the natural draft type looking in the direction of the arrows. having incorporated therein a power-driven fan, Figure 3 is a central, longitudinal sectional which is so arranged and disposed relative to ievv, showing the principles of my invention inparts of the ventilator that a maximum amount corporated with a heating device. of air can be moved in a minimum amount of Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein 1 time. similar reference characters designate corre- 1 Another object of my invention is to provide sponding parts throughout the several views, the a ventilator which is so constructed that no backletter V generally indicates my ventilator, which draft will be developed, irrespective of the direcincludes a tapering throat or flue 5 leading to tion of the wind. the inlet opening or the casing 6 of the fan I.

Another salient object of my invention is to The lower end of the throat or flue 5 is firmly 15 provide a ventilator embodying a casing or hood secured to a base ring 8, whereby to facilitate having a central air inlet, and an annular or the securing of the ventilator to a roof or cupola circumferentially extending discharge outlet, and of a building.

a multibladed fan of the so-called turbine or The casing 6 for the fan 1 includes upper and squirrel cage type, having its axis at the axial lower companion sections 8 and I. These seccenter of the ventilator casing or hood and its tions have their adjacent edges provided with blades midway between the annular outlet, whereoutstanding marginal flanges I I, through which by the air will be drawn into the central part extend holding bolts l2. The bolts rigidly secure of the fan from the throat and forced outwardly the sections 8 and ill in spaced relation to deflne equally in all directions from the ventilator an annular discharge outlet l8. By adjusting the 95 through the annular discharge outlet. bolts, the distance between the sections 8 and Ill A further object of my invention is the provican be varied, and thus the size of the annular sion of an annular band disposed about the vendischarge outlet I 3 can be varied. I tilator in spaced relation to the annular discharge The extreme lower end of the section 9 has outlet, whereby to provide a weather or wind formed thereon 8. depending collar H, which re- 30 guard for the ventilator and to permit the formceives the upper end of the throat or flue 5, and ing of a natural draft ventilator when the fan the collar II and the upper end of the flue or is not in use, the band extending a greater disthroat 5 are rigidly secured together in any pretance above the discharge outlet than below the ferred manner. A cap plate I5 is rigidly secured outlet, whereby the greater portion of the air to the upper section 10 and forms means for g moved by the fan will be directed downwardly closing the upper section and for supporting the toward the roof of a building. electric motor it, which drives the fan 1.

A further important object of my invention is The fan I is of the multiblade type, and of to provide novel means for mounting the motor the character generally referred to as a "squirrel 0 for the fan on the ventilator, whereby the motor cage" or turbine fan. This fan 1 includes a 0 will be unaffected by foul air or fumes from a top hub plate ll from which depends a plurality building, and whereby the fan will be cooled by of angularly extending vertically disposed blades air taken from outside the ventilator. l8. The lower edges of the blades are rigidly A still further object of my invention is the connected to a body ring it. The axial center provision of novel means for incorporating the of the hub plate I! is rigidly secured to the arms.- 5 fan and its casing with an air-heating device for ture shaft 20 of the motor IS in any preferred a room or building, whereby to insure the maximanner. By referring to Figure 1. it can be seen mum movement of air through the heater and that the axial center of the fan is arranged at the room. axial center of the throat or flue B, and that the to With these and other objects in view, the inrin "I te a a i e o t e upp ed e vention consists in the novel construction, arof the throat or flue. The annular discharge rangement, and formation of parts, as will be outlet I3 is disposed midway between the blades hereinafter more specifically described, claimed, l8 of the fan. and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in By this construction and arrangement of parts, which drawings: when the fan is in motion. the air to be vented will be drawn up the throat or flue B into the center of the fan, and the blades or the fan will throw the air outward against the walls of the casing and through the discharge outlet IS in all directions.

As the fan motor I8 is disposed above the ventilator, the motor is unaffected by the foul air or iumes exhausted from a building. In order to protect the motor against the elements, a housing 2| completely encloses the motor, and this housing is rigidly secured to the upper section ill of the Ian casing. To permit the cooling of the 'motor, the housing 2| is provided with an annular row of air inlet openings 22, and the cap plate I! around the armature shaft 20 is provided with a discharge opening 23. The air being thrown out of the fan casing 6 through the discharge outlet It will create a draft through the housing 2|, and the air flowing through the housing insures the cooling of the motor.

An annular band 24 surrounds the fan casing 6 in spaced relation to the annular discharge outlet I3, and this band forms an effective weather or wind guard. As illustrated, brackets 25 are employed for connecting the band to the casing 6, and these brackets can be held in place by the bolts l2. Attention is directed to the fact that the band 2% extends a greater distance above the outlet l3 than below the outlet, and hence the major portion of the air discharged from the outlet will be directed downward against the roof of a building.

The shape of the throat or flue 5, the casing 6, and the band 24 are such as to form a natural draft ventilator when the fan is not being used, and, obviously, the rush of air past the ventilator will create a partial vacuum or suction therein.

I lay great stress on the fan 1 and the position thereof in the casing 6, as by this construction and arrangement of parts a large quantity oi! air can be exhausted from a building in a minimum amount of time without the employance of a large, cumbersome expensive motor.

I can use the construction and arrangement of the fan to advantage in unit or like heaters, and in Figure 3 I have shown my invention incorporated with such a heater.

This heater is generally indicated by the reference character H, and includes an inverted bell-shaped body 30, which can be suspended from the ceiling of a room by the use of suitable brackets 3l. The lower end oi. the bellshaped body is provided with a depending outlet neck 32, which leads axially into the casing 83 for the multibladed fan 84. This casing 33 and the tan are similar to the casing 6 and the fan I illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. Hence, the casing 88 includes companion upper and lower sections 86 and 36 held in spaced relation by bolts 3'! to provide an annular discharge opening 38. The lower section 38 is closed by a cap plate 39, which supports the motor 40 for the fan. A suitable heater is arranged in the body 30, and, as shown, this heater is of the electric type.

In use of this form of my invention, the air is drawn from the top of the room into the body 30 by the fan at. This air is pulled past the heater ll and into the fan casing 33, where the same is discharged in all directions out of the annular outlet 38.

' Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of my invention, but what I claim as new is:

1. In an air circulating device, a fan casing having an annular discharge outlet and an axially disposed inlet, a multibladed power-driven fan disposed in said casing having its axial cen ter coinciding with the axial center of the air inlet, the annular outlet being disposed midway between the ends of the blades, and an annular band disposed around and in spaced relation to said outlet, said band entirely surrounding the outlet, but extending a greater distance above the outlet than below said outlet.

2. A ventilator comprising, a tapered flue leading from a building, a casing secured to and communicating with said flue having an annular discharge outlet, a multibladed fan disposed axially within said casing and directly above the flue, said annular discharge outlet being disposed midway between the ends of the blades of the fan, and an annular band secured to the casing and disposed in spaced relation to the discharge outlet and entirely surrounding the same, the band extending a greater distance above said outlet than below said outlet.

THOMAS L. ROBERTS. 

